Chemical Assay Potentially Suitable for Determination of Smut Resistance of Sugarcane Cultivars. H. L. Lloyd, Department of Microbiology, University of Durban-Westville, Durban, 4000, South Africa. G. Naidoo, Department of Microbiology, University of Durban-Westville, Durban, 4000, South Africa. Plant Dis. 67:1103-1105. Accepted for publication 15 April 1983. Copyright 1983 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-67-1103.

Of 23 genetically diverse sugarcane cultivars tested, 21 had a chemically related group of substances in bud scales in concentrations highly correlated with resistance to smut caused by Ustilago scitaminea. The glycosidic substances were extracted quantitatively from fresh, homogenized bud scales with methanol followed by methanol/water (8:2) and partially purified by thoroughly drying extracts in vacuo and extracting with methanol, followed by precipitation from the methanolic solution at –5 C with diethyl ether. Quantification was done using HPLC with a μ-Bondpak C18 column and methanol/water (9:1) solvent. The prospects seem good for developing a chemical assay for rapid determination of smut resistance in sugarcane.